Baseball bat



June 23, 1970 GRAY BASEBALL BAT Filed Oct. 27, 1967 Faster Gray ,0 INVENTOR.

BY and 19m United States Patent cc 3,516,669 BASEBALL BAT Fester Gray, 2640 S. Harvard Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90018 Filed Oct. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 678,632 Int. Cl. A63b 69/00, 69/30 US. Cl. 27372 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A special purpose bat devised to enable the batsman, usually an inexperienced youngster, to hit a poorly tossed ball and to enjoy the game of baseball. The bat proper resembles an ordinary baseball bat but is uniquely equipped with added ball striking members. The top and bottom surfaces are provided with outstanding fins which provide extra striking faces. The front face of the stout part of the bat is provided with a spring mounted pressure responsive paddle. This innovation enables the youngster to whack the ball in a lively self-pleasing manner.

This invention relates to a youngsters baseball bat which is novel in that it has added features, namely, several lengthwise components which provide outstanding selectively usable ball striking members which are so con structed and arranged that the users chances of whacking the ball are greatly increased, much to the delight and pleasure of the youthful user.

The regularly constructed baseball bat is often difi'icult for an untrained youngster to use with any degree of pleasurable success. An object of the instant concept is to so construct the available striking surfaces of a unique bat that the chances of meeting and batting the ball are greatly increased even though the youngster has little or no training and swings freely. On the other hand, the bat shown can be used even by larger boys who find the spring attached paddle capable of hitting a ball in a novel manner and who can reverse the bat, if so desired, and strike at the ball with the solid rearward surface.

Briefly, the bat proper is comparable to an ordinary bat in that it embodies a club-shaped body portion with a headed neck-type handle. However, and to the ends desired, the body portion is centrally bifurcated and provides a pair of opposed semicircular forward and rearward half-sections with a slot therebetween. A flat-faced wooden or an equivalent ovate panel has its lengthwise median portion sandwiched and fastened in the slot with its lengthwise wing portions projecting beyond the coacting peripheral surfaces and providing outstanding striker fins whose surfaces increase the ball batting function of the bat. The rearward halfsection can be faced forwardly for use, if a more solid stroke is desired. Usually, however, the normally used position is that wherein the spring-biased paddle is employed to whack the ball and gain the advantage derived from the rebound attained when the ball is properly and forcibly struck.

The inventive concept features a baseball bat which has selectively usable forward, rearward and top and bottom surfaces, that is, when the bat is held with the component parts facing to the left as shown in FIG. 1. Novelty is predicated on the individual component parts singly and collectively as will be evident from the following description of the details and the accompanying claims.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

3,516,659 Patented June 23, 1970 FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a baseball bat constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the plane of the section line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

The bat proper is denoted by the numeral 6. Ignoring for the moment the added features it will be evident that the bat 6 resembles any ordinary or conventional baseball bat which is characterized by a striking club or body portion which is gradually decreased in cross-section from the outward to the inward end and whose cross-section is circular as shown in FIG. 3. The body portion merges into a gradually tapering neck which constitutes a handle 8 and which terminates in the usual knob-like head 10. This bat however distinguishes from ordinary bats in that it is bifurcated lengthwise with the resulting slot extending from the handle outwardly through the forward or outer end portion 11 in FIG. 1 for example. This slotted or bifurcated construction divides the bat proper into forward and rearward semi-circular half sections or half portions as shown in FIG. 3. The convex surface of the forward half section is denoted by the numeral 12 and the diametrically opposite convex rearward surface or section is denoted at 14. The top surface is conveniently designated in FIG. 3 by the numeral 16 and the bottom surface at 18.

Added to the thus slotted bat is an elongated ovate wooden or equivalent flat-sided panel which is denoted by the numeral 20. This panel is of a length greater than the length of the slot and has its median lengthwise portion 22 fitted into the slot and secured solidly in place in any appropriate manner. The projecting wing-like portions of the panel provide top and bottom fins. The topfin is denoted at 24 and the bottom fin at 26. These fins project beyond the surfaces 16 and 18 to a degree suflicient that they can be advantageously used for striking the ball (not shown). With this construction it will be evident that it is possible to use either of the fins 24 or 26 in hitting the ball. In fact it is permissible to use the rearward half portion 14 by facing it forwardly toward the oncoming ball. This surface would be for more advanced players while the fins 24 or 26 would be used by untrained and uninitiated youngsters. The smaller boys would also prefer to use, it is believed, the added ball striking member which comprises an elongated paddle which is denoted at 28 and which is semi-circular in crosssection and has a convex forward side 30 and a fiat or planar side 32 which is spaced from and parallel to the cooperating bat surface 12. The surface 32 is spaced from the surface 12 by way of longitudinally spaced pressure-responsive coil springs each denoted by the numeral 34. The springs have end portions 36 secured in sockets provided therefor as shown in full lines and phantom lines in the views of the drawing. The end portion 38 of the spring is fitted and anchored in a socket provided therefor in the central cooperating portion of the paddle. The paddle is thus readied for use in the manner shown. It is not only semi-circular in cross-section, it tapers, that is decreases in width from the forward to the rearward end so that its marginal contour matches the general contour of the front bat surface 12.

No set rules for playing the game of ball with the improved bat are herein set forth for the reason that the bat is intended to be used according to the discretion of users ranging fromuntrained and uninitiated young sters to boys of an age who would be inclined to use this type of a bat for fun and play as distinguished from regular solid or one-piece bats. Then, too, and inasmuch as game playing implements such as bats and the like are used in many and varied ways it is deemed unnecessary here to dwell upon the mode of use for the reason that 3 the novelty resides in the construction of the bat and its improved features.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A game ball hitting bat embodying a stout inwardly tapering elongated impact body portion provided at its inward end with a diminished headed neck providing a gripping handle, said body portion having predetermined peripheral surfaces provided with outstanding selectively usable lengthwise ball striking members, said members being commensurate in length with said body portion and with each other and affording the batter extra whacking surfaces complemental to the regular impact surfaces of said body portion, said body portion embodying diametrically opposite front and back convex surfaces, and intervening diametrically opposite top and bottom convex surfaces, one of said striking members constituting a paddle and providing a front striker and being spaced from said front surface and connected to said front surface by shock absorbing ball bouncing springs, said springs being interposed between the body portion and striker and joined thereto.

2. The bat defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein there are several coil springs spaced longitudinally from each other at equidistant points and also wherein said paddle is substantially semi-circular in crosssection with its planar surface facing inwardly toward said front surface and its convex side fully exposed and facing forwardly for unhampered ball whacking purposes.

3. A game ball bat embodying a stout inwardly tapering body portion having an inward end provided with a regularly gradually diminished headed neck providing a conventional-type gripping handle, said body portion being circular in cross-sectional dimension from end to end and providing diametrically opposite front and back convex surfaces and top and bottom diametrically opposite convex surfaces, a front striking member comprising a substantially semi-circular paddle having (1) a planar side facing inwardly and confronting and paralleling the coacting front convex surface of said body portion and (2) a convex fully exposed ball whacking surface, said paddle being commensurate in length with said body portion, and a plurality of coil springs interposed between and interconnecting the planar side with a convex side of said front surface.

4. The bat defined in and according to claim 3, and wherein said body portion is longitudinally bifurcated to provide a pair of semi-circular bifurcations and a panel accommodating slot, said slot extending from the handle to and through the outer end of said body portion, and a panel having a median lengthwise portion fitted and secured in said slot and lengthwise edge portions projecting radially beyond the peripheral surfaces of the aforementioned top and bottom convex surfaces and providing ball impacting fins.

5. The bat defined in and according to claim 4, and wherein said panel is fiat-faced and substantially ovate in outline.

6. A game ball hitting bat embodying a stout but inwardly tapering elongated impact body portion provided at its inward end with a conventional-type diminished headed neck providing a gripping handle, said body portion having predetermined peripheral surfaces thereof provided with outstanding selectively usable lengthwise ball striking members, said members being commensurate in length with said body portion and with each other and affording the batter extra ball whacking surfaces complemental to the regular impact surfaces of said body portion, whereby to assist a young batter to hit an elusive or a poorly thrown ball, said body portion being characterized by diametrically opposite front and back convex surfaces, and intervening diametrically opposite convex top and bottom surfaces, there being three individual striking members, two of said members comprising elongated fins and said fins being radial to their respectively cooperable top and bottom surfaces, said fins being fixed and of a length greater than the length of said body portion and amply wide for ball contacting and striking needs, said third striking member comprising an elongated paddle constituting a front striker and spaced from said front surface but connected to said front surface by shock absorbing ball bouncing pressure responsive springs, said springs being located between the body portion and paddle and joined to said body portion and paddle respectively.

7. The bat defined in and according to claim 6, and wherein there are several coils springs spaced longitudinally from each other at equidistant points and also wherein said paddle is substantially semi-circular in crosssection with its planar surface facing inwardly toward said front surface and its convex side fully exposed and facing forwardly for unhampered ball whacking purposes.

8. A baseball bat primarily for use by youngsters and embodying a one piece stout inwardly tapering body portion having an inward end portion provided with a regulation-type gradually diminished headed neck providing a conventional-type gripping handle, said body portion being circular in cross-sectional dimension from end to end and providing diametrically opposite convex surfaces and like diametrically opposite top and bottom convex surfaces, said body portion being longitudinally centrally bifurcated to provide a panel accommodating slot, said slot extending from the handle to and through the outer end of said body portion, and a panel having a median lengthwise portion fitted and secured in said slot and lengthwise edge portions projecting radially beyond the peripheral surfaces of the aforementioned top and bottom convex surfaces and beyond said outer end and providing ball impacting fins.

9. The bat defined in and according to claim 8, and wherein said panel is of one piece form, is flat-faced, substantially ovate in outline, and of an area appreciably greater than the cross-sectional dimension of said body portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,359,220 11/1920 Beamer 273-78 2,895,737 7/1959 Blees 27372 X 3,048,399 8/1962 Breitbach 27372 3,380,305 4/1968 Charell 27372 X 3,463,492 8/ 1969 White 27372 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,790 7/ 1913 Great Britain.

GEORGE J. MARLO, Primary Examiner R. J. APLEY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

